Where I've Lived

My dad served in the United States Marine Corps for 30 years. He
reached the highest of the enlisted ranks, retiring as a Sergeant
Major. He served his country in the Korean War (1952-1953), and
served in Vietnam three times – two different one-year deployments
to Vietnam, and one deployment to Okinawa toward the end of the war.
I am proud of the many honors he earned – especially his Purple
Heart.

The first years of my life were spent in and around Fall River,
Massachusetts where he and my mom met and married. He was stationed
in various cities in Massachusetts doing "recruiting duty"
stints. I went to a different school for almost every year of my
elementary school years.

In 1970, he was transferred to the Marine Corps Base at Camp
Lejuene, North Carolina, where I transferred into the 7th grade. He
ended up retiring there, so I graduated from Lejeune High School (on
the base), and then went on to East Carolina University, where I
majored in Math and Computer Science. Once I graduated from college,
I moved to Raleigh and began working for IBM, in 1980.

Here's the road trip compliments of Uncle Sam:

Place

From

To

Education

Norfolk, Virgina (Marine Barracks Retraining Command)

October 1957

December 1959

Diaper Duty

Twenty-Nine Palms, California

December 1959

September 1960

The Terrible Twos

Ocean Grove, Massachusetts (MA)

September 1960

February 1961

Playing Hooky

Fall River, MA (Eastern Avenue)

February 1961

January 1963

First half of Kindergarten

Cherry Point, NC

January 1963

November 1964

Second half of Kindergarten, 1st Grade, First two months of 2nd
Grade

Fall River, MA (Dover Street)

November 1964

December 1964

Two More Months of 2nd Grade

Fall River, MA (Warren Street) [Vietnam]

December 1964

January 1966

Remainder of 2nd Grade at Dover Street School, First Half of
3rd Grade at Warren Street School